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The Best Interview Question for an IT Rockstar

Eve

January 3, 2019

Clients, recruiters, and candidates alike have specific questions they intend to ask or be asked during a job interview. Typically, we hear of at least 10 or more that are general in nature and then extras when it comes to problem-solving or coding challenges in the IT world.

What if you were only permitted to ask one question and make your hiring decision based on the candidate’s answer? In a recent interview between Adam Bryant of CNBC and LinkedIn CEO, Jeff Weiner, Weiner shared his sole question would be,” What’s your Ultimate Dream job?”

Now think about if you, yourself were asked this question. Would you be prepared; how would your answer come across and could you sum up your dream job concisely enough to get yourself hired? In the interview, the thought behind the answer to the question Weiner shared is, “that if you know what it is you ultimately want, you are much more capable of manifesting it.”

The key is understanding the candidate’s motivations and to determine if both the position and the work environment will provide the essential elements that will further nurture their motives. A prime example, if someone’s dream job is to work remotely as a Senior Programmer, then putting them into an onsite project team is likely not a good fit for their particular motivation.

A bonus when working with a local staffing agency is that they have a relationship with the candidates they are sending to you. A good agency already understands each candidate’s motivation, skill set, and your company culture to ensure they are identifying the right candidate for your organization.

Luckily, none of us are limited to a single question when interviewing for a job opening. However, it is good food for thought, and maybe you’ll pull out your list of items that you keep handy to evaluate if you are asking questions that will uncover the motivations of the candidate in your next interview.